Buh-Nnee!

I know my friend, John Keane, will kill me for posting this doodle of his. But, since his website is being revamped I needed something to fill the hydrocephalic void! It also gives me a chance to plug his latest project, Blood Nation. John did the art work for this on issues #3 & 4! Check out more blood stained goodness here and here! Woohoo! Maybe I can convince him to start posting some of his daily doodles on my new blog, Squidinklings!! Wha' da ya say dere ya know, son?! Buh-Nneeeee!!

I want to be in Calgary so I can go to this

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANIMATED OBJECTS!!

Guy Delisle

Alllright-ee then, let's keep this blog rolling! Let's hear your best singing voice raise in unison for a quebecois rendition of "Bonne Fete" pour Guy Delisle, as it is his birthday today. I realize that I have been neglecting the comics and art quotion so I will try and make up for it in the coming weeks. So, you might of heard of Guy Delisle's books, Pyonyang or his recent Shenzhen, both of which have topped multiple 'best of' lists over the last couple of years. Here is a nice interview from NPR with Guy speaking about his work and HERE is a recent article from the Ottawa Citizen shedding some light about his thoughts on the changing industry of graphic novels and publishing. More importantly, Fous D'Anim posted about an exhibition of his in France that one can see all the great pics from on the Lili & Beko site!! Huge Zoetropes and pictures from his experiences in China and North Korea. Check out the fun that we are missing over here on this side and hope a gallery or festival in Quebec will get this exhibition over here! Don't laugh, it could happen...as Amid Amidi at the Brew points out, Montreal is getting THIS!!! If you haven't read any of Guy's stuff, I encourage you to pick up a copy. Walk backwards to your nearest book store or your local library as it is probably there by now. Hopefully, the mainstreaming of comix is a good thing and not it's great undoing.

Tara Bryan

I am having trouble writing & drawing these days so I thought I would try and let the inspirational squid out of the jar or in this case the Jack! out of the bookbox?! If you squeeze hard enough the ink will ooze out like a concertina and you'll be absorbed by the master bookcraftery of Tara Bryan. I have always had a soft squishy spot for Artist's books, ever since I visited the Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts gallery. It made a lasting impression and doing an artist book myself is a constant on that 'to do' list before the ink runs out. That's why I have to wake up and take notes from Tara's bag of visual tricks. Tara's art books are stunning and creative in design. Sculptural, tactile and architectonic, the books take on a physical presence in one hand and a very functional play on the words in the other. In this case, 'Jack!' takes the form of a jack-in-the-box or 'Down the Rabbit Hole' expands or descends into the literary manifestation thereof. And it is this bunny that happily jumps in big head first into the paper walled world that she has built! Let the squid out tentacles and all.

AniBOOM!!

Well here is a post that I should of done on Monday (well actually last year but curmudgeoness takes alot of work). So with that said, get yer arses over to AniBOOM!! A veritable one stop animation spree that will light a match under yer aforementioned area and make ya wanna do your own. But since their animation competition is now over, you can help decide who gets a piece of the $50,000 dollaro prize. That's right! A hand clenched, wee beady eyes, toothy grin kinda of prize. I am partial to Bendito Machine, Mr. Fortune and my favorite HUMANS!! Not that I am trying to influence anyone. Go vote. And light a match!!

50 Greatest Cartoons time capsule...

I have been caught in the winter blahs of a mid-life crisis and I shouldn't be quite there yet. So, it was with a big bell over my head that I walked into this swinging list of the 50 Greatest Cartoons from 1994 (via Cityrag and Ticklebooth). The reverberations took me in a time capsule flashback with a big 'BONG' (although back then I was still sheltered and naive) and woke me back up to what is good in my life...animation and cheese.
You should dig a little hole, plant yourself down and bask in the warmth of your monitor where you can watch almost all of these classic cartoons. For example, numero 44 on the list is Frederic Back's, 'The Man Who Planted Trees' (shown above). It put a little smile on my face so I guess that makes me a 'Person of the Year'. Mmmm...spreadable.

The Animation Show Round Trois!

As Game Over signals the death of my Dreams and Desire in this City Paradise, 9 Rabbits whilst in a fatal Collision with a Guide Dog gurgle in unison that Everything Will Be Okay and that in Overtime I will forge through the Strong Waters but tragicallly in the end there will be No Room for Gerold. What is this peyote inspired rambling you say? ...well it is the third round bout of the ANIMATION SHOW! Giant mouseketeer sea creatures take on the entire 'Flying Zambini' bros. air squad in this match to the death. Here is the schedule to go see this Amazing touring ocean battle semi-near you or not even close at all!! For those interested locally, it is playing in Royal Oak from Feb. 13th-21st @ the Main Arts Theatre.
Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt have put together another visual clambake that yields many pearls. Like the 'current hot potatoe' of the animation scene, Max Hattler, to last year's idolater, Run Wrake! The other films are festival faves and award winners, check out the full list here. The one that caught mes yeux was Eaux Forte (shown above) by Remi Chaye. Yeah Remi!! I had the pleasure of meeting Remi this summer as he is working on Cartoon Saloon's highly anticipated feature film, Brendan and the Secret of Kells. Here is to good coffee, a broken piano and broken noses!
Go see and enjoy the "spectacle" (I wonder if the french have a word for that).

Happy New Yearski!!!